20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A
16 August 2026
INTRODUCTION
Good morning/evening. My name is ………. and I would like to wish you a warm welcome to our Mass at Holy Spirit Church, Kurri Kurri/ St Joseph’s, Cessnock/ St Francis Xavier’s Abermain/ St Michael’s, Wollombi
The priest celebrating with us today is Father James / Fr Raphael and assisting him is Deacon Viane.
Today’s readings reveal God’s boundless love that embraces every nation and race. Isaiah promises a house of prayer for all peoples; Paul proclaims mercy for Gentiles; and the Canaanite woman’s persistent faith moves Jesus to heal. United in this Eucharist, may our faithfulness and persistence draw us deeper into God’s self-giving love.
Please stand for the Processional hymn
GREETING
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And with your spirit.
PENITENTIAL ACT
Let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault;
therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin,
all the Angels and Saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
COLLECT
O God, who have prepared for those who love you
good things which no eye can see,
fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love,
so that, loving you in all things and above all things,
we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. AMEN
LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING
Isaiah 56:1.6-7
A reading from the prophet Isaiah
I will lead the foreigners to my holy mountain.
Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.
Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Ps 66:2-3 5-6. 8. R. v.4
(R.) O God, let all the nations praise you!
1. O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help. (R.)
2. Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth. (R.)
3. Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him. (R.)
SECOND READING
Romans 11:13-15. 29-32
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
The gifts and call of God are irrevocable.
Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead! God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.
Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.
The Word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Matthew 4:23
Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus preached the Good News of the kingdom
and healed all who were sick.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
Matthew 15:21-28
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Woman, you have great faith.
Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
HOMILY
PROFESSION OF FAITH
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. AMEN
UNIVERSAL PRAYER – PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Priest: Like the Canaanite woman, let us dare to call out to God in prayer, relying on God’s mercy and kindness.
Commentator
1. We pray that the Church will work actively to reconcile believers who have been torn apart by mistrust and intolerance. (pause) In your mercy:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
2. We pray that nations will remove injustice caused by gender, racial or religious prejudice. (pause) In your mercy:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
3. We pray that the boundaries which constrain outsiders and the marginalised will be dissolved by hospitality and friendship. (pause) In your mercy:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
4. We pray that those who are sick, including those mentioned in our Bulletin and those to unwell to join us today will be supported and strengthened by this community. (pause) In your mercy:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
5. We pray that we who are gathered will show courage and faith in times of trial. (pause) In your mercy:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
6. We pray for the dead who were nourished in this life by the Bread of the Eucharist, especially …………..who has/have died recently and for ……………… whose anniversaries occur about now. (pause) In your mercy
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Priest: God of all nations, in Jesus you draw all peoples of the earth into your embrace. Hear our prayer and help us to welcome strangers as our brothers and sisters. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
Receive our oblation, O Lord,
by which is brought about a glorious exchange,
that, by offering what you have given,
we may merit to receive your very self.
Through Christ our Lord. AMEN
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
PREFACE
PREFACE I OF ORDINARY TIME
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For through his Paschal Mystery,
he accomplished the marvellous deed,
by which he has freed us from the yoke of sin and death,
summoning us to the glory of being now called
a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for your own possession,
to proclaim everywhere your mighty works,
for you have called us out of darkness
into your own wonderful light.
And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
as without end we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
THE MYSTERY OF FAITH
Save us, Saviour of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray.
Made partakers of Christ through these Sacraments,
we humbly implore your mercy, Lord,
that, conformed to his image on earth,
we may merit also to be his coheirs in heaven.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
AMEN.
DISMISSAL
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Thanks be to God.
© The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. The English translation of the Psalm Responses, the Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, and the Titles, Summaries, and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. The prayers are from the English Translation of the Roman Missal © 2010 International Committee on English in the Liturgy Inc. (ICEL). All rights reserved.